The Challenge
Nearly 3 billion people – that is half of the world’s population – are under the age of 25. They are entering the different sectors of society in large numbers, putting immense pressures on governments around the world to wake up and face new challenges. These include the increased need for jobs and livelihoods, and the growing need for health care and education thereby increasing the stress on the environment. Social and economic disparities continue to grow, increasing the number of people living below the poverty line each day. Today, 1.3 billion people survive on less than a dollar a day and 3 billion people live on less than $2 a day. High levels of unemployment and rapidly deteriorating standards of living are resulting in destructive social unrest and dangerous levels of tension. These statistics, so being as they are, reveal little of the heavy toll that unemployment and underemployment takes on young people, their families and communities through economic hardship, human suffering, social exclusion and lost of production.
The situation is no different in Ghana, where the population is becoming more youthful, with youth as a proportion of the total population projected at over 65% by 2015, due to the high fertility rate underlying the demographic momentum. Therefore any serious policy for social, political and economic development in Ghana must recognize the importance of young people, especially in promoting social progress, reducing political tension and maximizing economic performance. The pace, depth and scope of any society’s development depend on how well its youth resources are nurtured, deployed and utilised.
Experience shows that when given the opportunity, young people can be intrepid innovators, productive workers, enterprising entrepreneurs, active union members and valued customers. Young people are at the forefront of the information and communication technologies revolution. Young people are societies’ artists and athletes. Young people are invaluable partners for social development bringing creativity, enthusiasm and leadership to the table. Permanent and profound damage is caused when their contributions are excluded.
The challenge for all stakeholders is to generate sufficient opportunities for all young people to use their talents, experience and aspirations – doing so under conditions of freedom, security, equality and human dignity. This challenge is indeed enormous. There are two choices. Take appropriate action now and reap the rewards in terms of productive, stable, secure and inclusive societies; or do little and continue to pay massive human, social and economic costs.
